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A group of concerned citizens in Goessel have joined together to form what they hope will be an alternative method for recycling, as the county-sponsored system is scheduled to end April 30.

“The response to recycling here has always been tremendously successful,” said Goessel resident Larry Schmidt. “It will be a huge loss for the city and the surrounding community to lose our recycling avenue through the county, but we hope this new arrangement will provide an opportunity for continued success.”

Schmidt said city council member Jim Wiens secured a large recycling container to replace the three smaller containers currently in use at 101 S. Cedar Street on the south side of the city building. The large container will hold as much as four of the smaller ones.

“The same recycling rules and regulations that are currently in effect will continue,” Schmidt said. “It is here for anyone who wishes to continue to bring their recyclable items.”

Schmidt said the city of Goessel will not fund the new recycling effort, but rather the project will depend on donations from those who use it.

“We will need $400 per month to cover the cost of the container and the transport of items to a recycling processing location,” he said. “We figure if everyone that drops off their items will contribute $10 per month, we should have more than enough money to make this work.”

The recycling committee will provide envelopes for donations at the entrance to the container storage area, and they can be dropped off in the city office mail slot where citizens currently leave their water bill payments.

Schmidt, who volunteers at the current recycling site every Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. to help elderly patrons put their recyclables into the containers, said he has kept track of how many people use the Goessel recycling option.

“We pretty much have a constant stream of people coming through to drop off items,” he said. “I can have an average of 48 different people that come just in the two-hour period that I am there every week. This is something that has always been important in this community.”

Schmidt said if more money came in than was needed for each month, it would go into a fund.

“When it is cold, we don’t have as many people come out,” he said. “I am sure it will equalize out over the course of the year.”

Schmidt said the only change he knew of that would take place when the county removed their bins and the Goessel group brought in their own was that shredded paper would no longer be accepted.

“We can take all the other usual items, like plastics, newspapers, cardboard, and cans,” he said. “We just cannot accept shredded paper.”

Schmidt said he and Wiens anticipate they will need to empty the large container about once a month.

“If it fills up sooner than that, then we will need to empty it more,” he said. “It will just be a regular roll-off bin and a truck will come pick it up.”

Schmidt said the new container would be in place as soon as the county removed their bins.

“We hope to get ours up and ready the last few days of April so we can be open May 1.”

The citizens recycling committee held a public meeting Tuesday to discuss recycling plans at the city building.